Sarig
by SkyKat
Summary: Can a hidden apology be enough to earn forgiveness for heinous acts? It doesn't hurt to try. One shot. Done on a dare.


**A/N:** My friend challenged me to write a story in thirty minutes and this is what I came up with. (Ha!Ha! You owe me five bucks you non-believer!!!) Thanks for the challenge, chica!

Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura and someone else

Warnings: Pretty dark

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**Sarig**

* * *

Sarig- Old English meaning"distressed, full of sorrow," from the West Germaic word sairig-, from sairaz meaning"pain" (physical and mental)

* * *

He stared at the young woman for almost an hour but for him it wasn't long enough. 

Her beauty, something he had never noticed until now, had remained unchanged after so much time had passed.

His cold hand rested on her cheek, not expecting her to stir under his touch, but hoping to get at least a reaction.

There was none.

He held her close to his heart, not sure what to say next. They had been fighting for who knows how long and now, there she was, lying on the ground with her head on his chest. As his hand combed through the stands of her sweat soaked pink hair, he looked up at the crimson sky swirled with looming dark black clouds. For one instant, he could have sworn that he saw her face in them. That's how he knew...

He helped her to sit up on the ground, leaning her back against a tree. Her head dropped low, unable to make eye contact with him. He breathed deeply and stepped closer to her getting down on one knee and raising her chin with his finger.

"Sakura," he whispered, "There's so much that I need to tell you." His voice was breathy and almost lost in the night winds but he knew that she could hear him. "I don't know if you ever understood why I did what I did. I also don't I know if you'll ever forgive me for it." He pulled out a cloth from his pocket and wiped the tears from her face...cleaning away the only things capable of making her unattractive. He wanted to forever remember her as she was a long time ago; youthful, carefree, and always happy.

When he was done, he cupped his hands and either side of her face, using one of his thumbs to trace around her lips. "It's amazing that you're still so warm, even after coming in contact with someone with such a cold heart as mine. I think that's one of the things I've always admired about you."

Guilt consumed his entire body. She was his friend and his number one fan. She shed tears for him when he was injured, she threw herself in front of him when he was in danger. When her efforts to keep him from leaving didn't work, she begged to go with him so that they could be together no matter how twisted the journey may be. But he turned his back on her...their friendship...their future.

"I did care for you as a teammate. I also cared for you as a friend, no, as family. You and Naruto were all that I had. For that I thank you." He moved his face closer to hers. "Now I must ask for your forgiveness. You know I've done some terrible things."

Something shiny on the ground caught his attention. Lying next to her was her forehead protector. He had seen it fall of of her and she must have been clutching it until it slid from her fingers. The very sight of it brought tears to his eyes. When he picked it up, it seemed to burn like fire, f orcing him to drop it immediately.

Never again will he have what he had back then.

"Well, let us get this over with." He sank to his knees, spread out his fingers, and started digging his hands into the soft earth. He dug nonstop, allowing the salty water the pour freely from his eyes and head; he had no forehead protector to soak up the liquid. Enough time had passed for the black clouds to clear from the sky. He paused when he heard a voice in the distance, coming closer, calling her name.

"Sakura? Sakura where are you?"

"I think your best friend's looking for you. I'd better hurry." He began to dig faster, but it was too late. Ino had found them. Her heart stopped at the scene. She ran up to her friend, throwing her arms around her, and shot Sasuke the coldest look that not even his brother could match. "What have you done to her?!" He didn't answer. Just kept digging. With one hand Ino pulled out her kunai and pointed it in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke unworriedly smirked at her and spoke, his voice held more seriousness than his face showed. "Put that away. You and I both know you're in no condition to fight."

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"You wouldn't kill the father of your child." Ino dropped her weapon and sobbed next to her friend, paralyzed with fear and anger. Sasuke continued to dig up the ground around him and stopped once the hole was large enough for a human body to fit inside. He had to pry Ino's arms from around Sakura's neck and she threw her body on the ground, hysterically sobbing at the reality of the situation. She was now clutching the forehead protector and holding it tightly in her hands. There would be no way that he was going to take _this_ from her.

Sasuke picked Sakura up and cradled her much like he knew she would if the situation were reversed. She was surprisingly light in his arms and his tired body easily supported her weight. Her hand was draped across her stomach, once firmly pressed in her efforts to stop the bleeding.

She had weakened to the point of not being able to heal herself completely, and collapsed just a few feet away. He watched as the color of her once glowing skin slowly drained away. Her once bright eyes closed tight. She didn't say a word. Upon close inspection he could see where the tears had washed away two streaks from the dirt and blood that caked on her face.

The same hands that were used to attack those who loved him were respectfully gathering the body and placing it in its final resting place before filling the hole back up again. He finished quickly and went over to where Ino was cowering and placed his dirt covered hand on her belly. "I'll come back for you someday." With that he left her, screaming next to where her friend would sleep forever.

* * *

"Sakura," he whispered to the sky as he walked away, "I've done some very bad things: 

I betrayed your trust and made you my enemy.

I knocked up your best friend and now she must choose.

Worst of all, I killed you.

I can only hope as you watch down on me that one day you and everyone else will all find it in your hearts to forgive me."


End file.
